Kessler becoming more confident and comfortable
Journeyman backing up Wentz with Sudfeld shelved
PHILADELPHIA — After a quiet first three months with the Eagles, Cody Kessler has become much more popular of late.
Backup quarterback Nate Sudfeld’s fractured left wrist from Thursday night’s preseason opener against the Titans elevated Kessler to the No. 2 quarterback position. Unless the Birds change their minds or Kessler gets hurt, the first-year Eagle will be one snap away from playing in the Sept. 8 season opener against Washington, since Sudfeld isn’t expected to return before Week 3 or 4.
On Monday, Kessler spent his third straight day getting all of the repetitions with the secondstring offense. Starter Carson Wentz, who might not play in the preseason, handled all of the first-team snaps.
“Obviously, I’m not as experienced as Nate and Carson,” said Kessler after practice at the NovaCare Complex. “Haven’t been in it that long, but I think each day just feels better and better.
“Made some better throws today on plays I ran before that I really didn’t understand the reads. It was nice to be able to get the ball out quicker, too, and kind of understand what you’re trying to accomplish on each play, what each play’s built for and different coverages.”
The 6-foot-1, 215-pound Kessler threw some nice shortand medium-range passes during Monday’s session, finding receiver Charles Johnson in traffic over cornerback Sojourn Shelton and hitting rookie lineman Keegan Render for a touchdown on a tackle-eligible play in a goal-line drill. He also passed behind 6-6 receiver Carlton Agudosi over the middle and fumbled on an attempted handoff in which running back Corey Clement didn’t end up with the ball.
Kessler has three more exhibition contests, starting Thursday night vs. the Jaguars in Jacksonville, to grow more comfortable in the offense. He’ll undoubtedly have an opportunity to play with some starters along the way.
“In this offense, there’s a lot that gets put on the quarterback,” said veteran center/guard Stefen Wisniewski. “We’ve got a lot of plays, a lot of motions, a lot of checks. We’ve got a lot of things that are on the quarterback’s plate. You’ve got to be really smart and disciplined and really study a lot to be the quarterback in this offense. It’s hard coming in for a new guy. It really is. But he’s done a good job.”
“He looks good back there,” said tight end Dallas Goedert. “He’s confident in himself, which is a big thing for a quarterback. They have a lot of pressure on them to control the offense, make those reads, and he’s confident in doing it. That gives us a lot of confidence in him on the field.”
Kessler is more of a game manager along the lines of fellow former Southern Cal QBs Mark Sanchez and Matt Barkley. Despite throwing for 10,339 yards at USC, he doesn’t have the arm for the deep ball like Wentz and ex-Eagle Nick Foles.
A third-round pick by the Browns in 2016, he spent two years in Cleveland and last season with the Jags, compiling a 2-10 record as a starter. He was 0-8 on the 1-15 Browns as a rookie before going 2-2 with 5-win Jacksonville last year. He’s completed 64.2 percent of his passes in the NFL with eight TDs and five interceptions.
Prior to being waived by the Jaguars on May 9, four days before the Eagles signed him, the 26-year-old Kessler spent nearly two months as Foles’ teammate and soaked up as much knowledge as he could from the seven-year pro.
“I really kind of clung to him and kind of followed him around and listened to things he said and really took notes,” Kessler said. “[He’s] a guy who’s had his ups and down in this league, as a lot of us do. He’s been amazing.”
Kessler’s quarterback rating in 17 career games is 83.7, compared to Foles’ 88.5 in 54 games. While those numbers are somewhat similar, Foles was named the Super Bowl LII MVP for leading the Eagles to a championship, as well as turned in a 27-TD, 2-interception 2013 season in which he earned Pro Bowl MVP honors.
Kessler hasn’t approached those accomplishments in the NFL and might never get there. For now, the Eagles want and need him to become a prepared, competent backup to Wentz until Sudfeld gets back.